Charlotte was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2008 and has been an invaluable media volunteer over the past few years with her aim to 'remove the taboo of poo'.

Driven by a passion to ensure that more people understand IBD, and appreciate what it's like to live with it, Charlotte even postponed a holiday to be interviewed live on Sky News.

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2008 at just 16-years-old and the only information available to me upon diagnosis were leaflets, Crohn's and Colitis UK's website and a support forum which I found on Facebook. I felt that all of this information was a total lifeline for someone so young who didn’t know much about this condition and who didn’t know anybody with the condition.

I couldn’t talk about my condition with my friends as I was too embarrassed to discuss my bowels with peers my own age, but 'liking' Crohn's and Colitis UK's Facebook page made me feel like I could ask anything and meet people of my own age experiencing the same things as myself.

Crohn's and Colitis UK have continued to support me, as I have done them, for the past eight years. I have felt that, due to when I was diagnosed, there weren't enough individuals who had heard of or who had understood the condition. Over the past few years I have made it my own personal mission to raise awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and raised funds for vital research towards finding a cure and a reason for why individuals like myself have Inflammatory Bowel Disease.